Re: Bison 1.28c is released

[akim]

On Fri, Aug 17, 2001 at 09:30:28PM +0200, Hans Aberg wrote:
> At 16:41 +0200 2001/08/17, Akim Demaille wrote:
> >> I had a look at this one, and it seems that the PS it generates
> >> is from a pix-map, not object-oriented drawing. -- Perhaps one
> >> should settle for a graphics format for which there is
> >> converters available that produces object-oriented drawing
> >> PS/PDF/DVI.
> >
> >Hans, we won't change this.  Period.
> 
> So what made you fall in love with this particular format? :-)

The fact that it's already used in other compiling tool, most typically
GCC.  And because it is not merely a graph displaying tool: it's full
of heuristics to make it look nice.  Please, note that we did not specify
the layout: it handles it by itself.

I sure regret there is no XFig output for instance.  But I trust the
free software community: if the pressure is big enough, someone will pick
up vcg and maintain it.

I want to stick to the de facto standards, and since GCC people, and
Ulrich Drepper (GNU libc) use VCG, that's a clear sign to me.

> -- I mean, a year mentioned in the converter was 1994, and the graphics
> display times weren't impressive.

I agree the _tool_ is obsolete.  The format is not.

> But the idea of getting graphics is always nice. More modern formats should
> be able to support hyperlinks.

There is already some provision in VCG for such things.  As a matter of
fact, I think we should provide means to put the description of the
states in those info fields, for when the automaton is big, the display
is really unusable.  Unless you have 1kmx1.41km sheets :)